Combating illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons focus of OSCE organized seminar

ALMATY, Kazakhstan, 16 September 2010 - A seminar co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana on combating the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons (SALW) began in Almaty today.

The two-day event brought together more than 40 participants from four Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan - Europe and North America, including military personnel, experts from international organizations and non-governmental organization representatives.

During the seminar, the participants will share their experiences on dealing with the trafficking-related challenges at the national and international level. Special attention will be paid to combating illicit arms trafficking in Central Asia, improving import and export controls, enhancing law enforcement and border security, and ensuring the effective management and safety of stockpiles.

"Today's meeting is an important part of the OSCE's work to enhance participating States' awareness of different issues related to small arms and light weapons and provide legal and practical assistance upon request," said Ambassador Alexandre Keltchewsky, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Astana.

"The need to deepen regional and trans-regional co-operation is growing and the OSCE is playing an increasingly significant role in this regard. We believe that the problem of small arms trafficking can only be solved through joint co-ordinated action by a large number of countries," said General Bulat Sembinov, Kazakhstan's Deputy Defence Minister said at the event's opening session.

The OSCE Centre in Astana organized the seminar jointly with the OSCE Secretariat's Conflict Prevention Centre and Kazakhstan's Defence Ministry as part of its efforts to promote arms control and regional security.